World Cup glory is the ultimate joy for any cricketer. Understandably, this celebration will go on for a few more days as far as the India Women's cricket team is concerned. Pratika Rawal is in a vibrant mood as she joins us for the interview, and I start things off with a congratulatory message.
Over the last week, Rawal and her teammates may have gotten countless such congratulatory messages from a wide range of people. However, these are unprecedented times, and clearly, the significance of what the win means is yet to fully sink in for all of them.
"No, it (World Cup win) hasn't quite sunk in," says Rawal with a big smile on her face.
"But like you said, lot of congratulations are in order. But I would like to have many more. So, if anyone else wants to congratulate me, I'm all ears."
It was a roller-coaster ride for Rawal, who had a great run in the league stages before suffering an ankle injury in the final game against Bangladesh. It was so severe that the opener was ruled out of the game instantly, and within a day, her tournament was officially over. However, she stayed back and was with the team, often in a wheelchair to cheer her teammates.
When India won the World Cup in Navi Mumbai, ICC regulations meant that Rawal wouldn't get a winners' medal as she had technically been withdrawn due to injury, with Shafali Verma being the replacement. Jay Shah, ICC's Chairman, intervened to ensure that Rawal also got her medal.
So, it was decided that an extra medal would be given to the Indian team, and this new medal would go to the support staff member, while Rawal took the extra one, which was given after the final.
"When I opened the medal box, raw emotions came out of me. My father was also sitting next to me, and there were his emotions as well. I showed it to my coach and my mum on video call, and told them that 'This is my medal'. A lot of raw emotions and I couldn't stop my myself. It felt really great."
The injury, though, must have stung her physically and mentally. Ankle injuries, especially in sports does take a long time to heal. While it did look ominous initially, Rawal gave us a bit of positive news.
"It (ankle) is much better now. The swelling has gone down and the pain has reduced a lot. I am feeling much better right now."
While there is a yet-to-be-confirmed white-ball home series against Bangladesh, India's next officially confirmed international assignment is the away tour to Australia, scheduled to begin in mid-February. There is also the Women's Premier League, tentatively slated to begin in early January. Ideally, one of these two assignments could be Rawal's comeback vehicle, but she cannot give a timeline just yet.
"I am done with two weeks of rehab. There is a scan scheduled after I complete three weeks. So, I would be able to tell you only after the scan results come."
Since her India debut in December 2024, Rawal has been a key cog of India's ODI batting setup. She has created a stupendous opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana, who has also endured a record-breaking year in the format. The duo has rarely failed to give solid starts for the team and Rawal tells us where the secret lies.
"There is a basic understanding (between us) and we have conversations out there in the middle. She is brilliant in her part and lets me do what I do best. She never intervenes with my methods about dealing with a particular bowler or match situation. She knows that my ways are different and she respects that. I really like that about her. She respects my space and I respect her space."
Mandhana, with her wide range of strokes and taller frame, is the clear aggressor in the partnership, while Rawal is the certified anchor who can also go up a few gears when needed. However, there are times when the Delhi girl does get a bit bogged down when the scoring rate drops. Stronger bowling attacks try to keep her on strike for long and bowl dot balls at her, hoping for a shot of frustration.
To her credit, though, Rawal is mentally strong and doesn't fall into that trap. There have been passages where she has slowed down, but she ensures that the partnership has carried on deeper. The 25-year-old credits her senior partner for having her back during such challenging phases in ODIs.
"Since ODIs have a lot of time, she tells me that if a particular bowler is bowling well or troubling me, she can just tap and run, so that she can get on strike to take that bowler on. When she has some trouble against certain bowlers, she would also do the same, get a single and put me on strike so that I can deal with that person."
Even as the openers were firing on all cylinders in the 2025 World Cup, India endured a slump of three losses in a row. Scathing criticism was expected, and even the in-form Rawal wasn't spared from public scrutiny. The major argument against her was the strike rate; the talk was that Rawal was taking too much time even after getting set.
"Luckily for us, we have a bubble within our team, so the outside noise doesn't reach us," explains Rawal.
"Also I luckily wasn't on Instagram that time, wasn't active on social media. So, none of those conversations reached me. I'm really happy that the support staff has created a bubble around us. They are really supportive, so we really never have to doubt our game. So, these conversations never reached me but I heard Amol Sir (Amol Muzumdar) vouching for me and my strike rate."
"Whenever I go out to bat, I don't think about the results. I just try to react to the next ball that is bowled at me. It's not about me, it's about the nation and what the match situation demands. If we have a lot of wickets in hand, I would like to play a few more shots but if we don't have many wickets, I would want to anchor the innings and bat as long as I can."
Amol Muzumdar's role as head coach and Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy formed a lethal ice-and-fire combo that took India to World Cup glory. While Muzumdar gave direction, a calm and measured strategy to the team, Kaur led by example with her trademark brand of aggression. The entire team is vocal about the duo's priceless contributions, and Rawal also echoed the same opinion.
"They make us feel secure. They never let us doubt ourselves. They tell us to do what we can do best to make this team win. That's why this team is doing exceptionally well. They aren't trying to do things a certain way just to impress the outside world, they are just trying to do the things that they do best. The kind of endless conversations that we have with them and the positive impact they have had on us has been amazing. I don't have enough words to explain, it has been a blessing."
Speaking of feeling secure and mentally strong, Rawal is a degree holder in Psychology. It's not always that cricketers get benefits from their domain of studies, but she has capitalised on her knowledge to minimise stress levels in cricket. Apart from keeping her mind fresh and strong, there is another crucial role that psychology has played in Rawal's life.
"Psychology has helped me become a better human being. I am completely aware of my emotions and completely aware of my thoughts, which actually helps me to process whatever comes my way. I can accept reality quicker or at least that's what I like to believe (laughs). I know how human beings behave in certain situations and can adapt myself to that. It has helped me to deal with difficult situations. There are a few techniques that I have learnt, which have helped me a lot."
Cricket is where Rawal eventually arrived, but not many know that she was equally skilled at basketball during her childhood days at school. Since the age of 10, Rawal showed an increasing interest in sports, especially cricket and basketball. Her parents were very supportive and let her go with the flow during the formative years.
It isn't totally surprising that an ambitious sportsperson from Delhi chose cricket over basketball, given the impact levels in India of the two sports, respectively. However, Rawal did manage both sports for a while before it became imperative to make the big decision.
"There was a time when I had to make a decision between cricket and basketball. I think I was about 16 at the time. I realised that I had to take cricket seriously if I wanted to play for the nation. I started thinking professionally from about 16. All the decisions that I have taken so far are all mine. My parents never forced me to do anything that I don't like."
"Choosing cricket was my decision, because the love for this game is increasing day by day. I cannot have enough of it. Basketball, yes I did enjoy but at that time, I thought that cricket is my only calling, and felt that I had to excel in it to make my own identity."
Before we signed off on the interview, it was impossible not to ask Rawal about her T20I ambitions. After all, it is the age of T20 cricket, and the women's game is taking gargantuan leaps forward across all parameters. There is a World Cup next year in England, and while she is yet to play a T20I to date, there is no doubt that the right-hand batter would want to have a shot at more glory.
For that, however, fitness is the first step forward, and then would be to play her first ever Women's Premier League season. Rawal was unsold at WPL 2025 but is certain to find a place at the WPL 2026 auctions slated for November 27. The next season is expected to kick-off in early January, meaning it will be a race against time for the youngster as far as WPL action is concerned.
"I'd definitely love to be a part of WPL. However, I can only get clarity on my fitness once my scans are done next week. If the scan comes in my favour, I'd be ready for the WPL. I have to be patient. With the way I am recovering right now, I'm pretty confident of making it."
